Past and Present
by SnarkyBlondes n SassyBrunettes
Summary: Felicity loved working for Team Arrow - it was almost like this kind of work was in her blood. When the team faces a new enemy, Felicity's past is revealed to everyone's surprise - including herself's, Felicity has to re-evaluate everything she thought she knew about her place in the world and Team Arrow.


_Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters; my imagination is simple playing with them - my only hope it is in a reader satisfaction manner! Reviews are always appreciated!_

**Prologue**

The woman's figure was barely seen in the dark night, her back towards the tall wall, staring up at the post on one of the wall's corners that protected the large manor. She was covered from head to toe in black – black boots, black pants and black long sleeved shirt. A black mask covered her face, a sword hanged on her back, a number of small knives on her belt and brunette hair in a high ponytail. She kept her steps quiet as she shuffled closer to the post, so that she was barely to the right of it but would remain unseen unless the man in the barricade looked straight down. The wind came carrying with it a whistle that could be mistaken for a bird's voice. She knew better – it was her signal. She looked up again and in a moment where the two men in their post were looking the opposite direction she gracefully climbed and jumped over the 10 foot wall, her movements quick and her landing on the other side quiet.

A smirk formed on her lips as she retook a mirror image on the other side of the wall, so she once again was hidden from the men above. This assassination would be easier than she thought. Surveying the large gardens, she slowly moved forward, her catlike grace unseen to anyone as she avoided the guards that were patrolling around the grounds. Killing now would only alert her prey, death was only necessary on the getaway.

She continued until she reached the targeted window on the second floor. Once again surveying her surroundings before she took a graceful leap and flew through the open second floor window. This assassination was child's play for her; the security while at first look was tight, the cracks in them were easy to see for someone trained. From here it was simple down the hall, second corridor left, first corridor right, first corridor left again and the third door on the right to the master bedroom and the sleeping target.

Landing softly, she moved forward – there were no guards this time, many rarely bothered for them indoors when the grounds were so well protected. The security cameras were on a loop, her bird whistling partner's work. She moved quietly, left than right before hearing a sound. Crouching low she looked around the corner it to see a massive man, easily reaching 6'4 and broad around the shoulders, with short blond hair peaking over his mask.

Blue eyes peered at her through the mask and she knew for sure they were accompanied by an amused smirk. She got out of her crouch and quietly strut towards the man, a frown apparent on her face.

"Hope I didn't startle you, Huntress?" His voice was teasing and quiet.

The woman scoffed and whispered back, "Focus on the mission."

"Yes, ma'am!" He answered with a lazy salute, the smirk obviously still resting on his face. The two of them moved forward, turning left and going towards the master bedroom door. "But you have to admit it's kind of boring. I was expecting more of a challenge…it's like they want us to assassinate him."

The Huntress froze as she took in her partner's words. He was right…the hole's in security while not immediately apparent to others, were be to people like them – people who did this for a living. She never expected this to be the most difficult mission of her career but she did expect more of a challenge. The man seemed to have realized his own words and froze as well behind her.

The man's amusement had disappeared and he was surprisingly light and quiet on his feet for someone of his size. The both of them stood still, not even their breathing heard as they, like almost one machine, moved to either side of the master bedroom door. They crouched in silence, neither making a sound, and waited. They knew they were not seen coming in, so if this was a trap they would were simple expected tonight not at this moment. They knew they couldn't leave – if it wasn't a trap they had a job.

For twenty minutes they crouched and waited quietly. In the twenty-first minute it happened. From inside the bedroom a movement was heard – a slight metallic tap and a shifting of feet followed by someone shushing the person who had move. If the shushing wasn't a dead giveaway, than the metallic tap that was reminiscent of a gun would have been as well as the heavy shifting that could only indicate heavy boots.

The Huntress looked at her partner, eyebrows raised in question and smirk playing at her lips. The question was clear – assassinate those who were obviously trying to either kill or capture them? The man thought for a second before firmly shaking his head. The woman frowned at his caution, but it is what had saved her life on multiple occasions. They knew neither the number waiting for them, the weapons they had, nor where they were in the room. She still though was disappointed – she loved her job, the thrill of killing; but her partner was in the right.

She sighed. A moment later they started going back the way they came, just as quiet as they had been before. Halfway down the hallway, the Huntress paused, the hairs at the back of her neck rising.

"Sportsmaster…" she whispered, "I don't think we should go back the way we came."

Sportsmaster nodded and motioned four with his fingers. The Huntress nodded – they would go with their fourth planned exit. It had less guards, but it was easier to be spotted. But being spotted didn't matter anymore – it might even be better. They would learn you can't trap the Huntress and Sportsmaster.

The moved towards their exit, taking corridors that they had memorized beforehand, down the servants stairs and through a large window that they opened. The made it halfway to the perimeter wall before both of them ducked instinctively hitting the floor hard and rolling for cover to some nearby bushes as gunshots sounded and flew above their heads.

The Huntress smirked as a sense of calm washed over her. She was good at sneaking around but it's in battle when she was truly in her element. From where the bullets landed she knew where the gunmen were and grabbed two knives into her hands, rolled onto her knee, standing with the other foot, and threw the knives in the direction of the gunman before continuing the roll so she was once again on one knee and crouched low, all in one fluid movement.

Somewhere to the right of her Sportmasters voice came calmly. "There's five, you hit two, I hit one."

"Aww, did you miss?" The Huntress teased as she repeated her movement, taking down the remaining two gunman.

"Yeah, yeah you're the best. But there are nine more incoming from the east. They would reach us before we could jump the wall. If we take them out than the remainder from what I see won't be here until we are over." Sportsmaster strength was always analysis and strategy.

"Then lets go give them a good welcome." The Huntress stated already moving east.

Sportsmaster easily followed. Moving around a tree they surprised the men, who had not expected the duo to come towards them.

The Huntress dropped to the ground easily sweeping the front man's feet from under him as he landed hard to the ground. She moved quickly, punching the man in the face with her right hand as her left went to unstrap the handgun at his hip. While standing up, leg on either side of the man's lower legs she undid the safety on the gun and shot the man below her cleanly in the head. Once fully standing, her arm moved forward to the men she had seen take a knee to shoot at her. Two clean shots in head and they were equally as disposed of.

Cartwheeling forward, over the first man she had killed, she let go of the gun and she brought her legs together midair and kicked a fourth man in the chest, pushing him backwards, before landing on her feet, her right hand sweeping to her sword. Pulling the sword out and slashing it forward, she opened the fourth man's throat before he could right himself fully.

Allowing the momentum of the swing to turn her ninety degrees, she faced the fifth man and started to swing, but before she could complete the arc, the man was struck in the head with a spiked ball connected with a chain to the rod in Sportsmaster's hand.

"Seriously?" Huntress said.

Sportsmaster rolled his eyes and crouched down giving Huntress a view of a man standing up behind him with a gun in his hand –Sportsmaster must have knocked it out of his hand earlier. With little hesitation Huntress stabbed her sword forward, striking him in the heart and killing her fifth man, before pulling it back.

The whole thing had taken less than fifteen seconds. She quickly surveyed the area around her, all nine men dead, as Sportsmaster stood to his full height.

"We really need to work on your sharing kills, honey." Sportsmaster stated as they started running forward to the wall.

"I'm better, I get more kills."

Sportsmaster snorted. "If you're better, you don't get more kills, you take more kills. So next time take the kills, charity case! "

Huntress smiled, a seemingly rare feature on her face. "But giving was in our wedding vows."

"Wait? You're supposed to follow those vows? Damn think of all that money I'd save on those hookers if I'd been following that fidelity thing."

The Huntress laughed as they reached the wall and Sportsmaster jumped. She was always the happiest after a good fight. Sportsmaster was halfway up the wall when she felt it again; the hairs rising on her neck. Before she knew what she was doing she had followed Sportsmaster up the wall and pushed him over violently, occupying the space that he had only a moment ago.

The same moment when a gunshot was heard – this time not from a handgun or machinegun but a rifle from the roof.

The bullet hit her in the back and she fell forward, landing hard on her front, inches away from Sportsmaster.

She heard movement from both sides approaching. Sportsmaster was already on his feet. Huntress tried to follow but she couldn't move her legs. She couldn't feel her legs either. She swallowed hard – she had a feeling that she never would again.

"Paula?" Sportsmaster asked, worry evident in his voice.

"Lawrence….I can't move." Paula stated with fear. She half expected him to leave her there. The weak were never someone she could stand by, and without legs she would slow him down and his chances of escape would be almost impossible.

But, Lawrence always had been a loyal man. The footsteps were almost upon them and in one movement Lawrence hauled Paula over his shoulder and ran.

She would have left him here. Even it were in some way possible to carry him, she would have left the weak to die. Yet he carried her, no matter the danger to himself. That's why he saved him – because the girls needed someone loyal.

* * *

Hey everyone!

This is my first fanfic in arrow and truthfully I don't know where i'm going with it. I have never read the comics but I have watched DC related shows and movies and is where I'm drawing my inspiration from. Hope that you enjoy this; also I love creative criticism - tell me what you hate about what/how I write (politely, please!).

Also if anyone has some time on their hands and are wiling to edit, I would love a beta because currently all mistakes are my own.

To fellow Canadians, Happy Canada Day!


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